484 ARTICULATA. {Cuap. XIII. 
found in Ceylon, nearly double the size of the European 
one, and with a prodigious faculty of engorging blood, 
there is another pest in the low country, which is a 
source of considerable annoyance, and often of loss, to 
the husbandman. This is the cattle leech?, which 
infests the stagnant pools, chiefly in the alluvial lands 
around the base of the mountain zone, whither the 
cattle resort by day, and the wild animals by night, to 
quench their thirst and to bathe. Lurking amongst 
the rank vegetation that fringes these deep pools, and 
hid by the broad leaves, or concealed among the stems 
and roots covered by the water, there are quantities of 
these pests in wait to attack the animals on their ap- 
proach to drink. Their natural food consists of the 
juices of lumbrici and other invertebrata; but they 
two inches long, but reaching to 
six inches when extended. Mr. 
Thwaites, to whom I am indebted 
for these particulars, adds that he 
saw in a tank at Kolona Korle 
leeches which appeared to him 
flatter and of a darker colour than 
those described above, but that he 
had not an opportunity of ex- 
amining them particularly. 
Mr. Thwaites states that there 
is a smaller tank leech of an olive- 
green colour, with some indistinct 
longitudinal strie on the upper 
surface; the crenated margin of a 
pale yellowish-green ; ocelli as in 
the paddi-field leech ; length, one 
inch at rest, three inches when ex- 
tended. ‘ 
Mr. E. L. Layarp informs us, 
Mag. Nat. Hist. p. 225, 1853, that 
a bubbling spring at the village of 
Tonniotoo, three miles 8. W. of 
Moeletivée, supplies most of the 
leeches used in the island. Those 
in use at Colombo are obtained in 
the immediate vicinity. 
) Hemopsis paludum. In size 
the cattle leech of Ceylon is some- 
what larger than the medicinal 
leech of Europe; in colour it is of a 
uniform brown without bands, un- 
less a rufous margin may be so con- 
sidered. It has dark strie. The 
body is somewhat rounded, flat 
when swimming, and composed of 
rather more than ninety rings. 
The greatest dimension is a little 
in advance of the anal sucker; the 
body thence tapers to the other 
extremity, which ends in an upper 
lip projecting considerably beyond 
the mouth. The eyes, ten in 
number, are disposed as in the 
common leech. The mouth is oval, 
the biting apparatus with difficulty 
seen, and the teeth not very 
numerous. The bite is so little 
acute that the moment of attach- 
ment, and the incision of the mem- 
brane is scarcely perceived by the 
sufferer from its attack, 
